Buying the Best Food for your Dog: How to Make the Right Decision

Walking down the dog food aisle can be overwhelming. With an abundance of options available, you have to pick from dozens of different dog food available to you, each showcasing certain health benefits. To make sure you choose the right one, here are some tips to guide you:

Understand Important Terminologies

There are some basic guidelines to what pet food should contain, based on the labels of the package. It’s important to understand these words to decide on the best food option. If the food package says it is made with one ingredient, like chicken, this ingredient should make up 95% of the food. Similarly, if a combination of food is prominent like beef and chicken, this combination should make up 95% of the food. If the label only says “with” an ingredient, there is just 3% of that certain ingredient. Make sure you are able to tell the difference.

Check the List of Ingredients

IOn pet food packaging the ingredients are listed in order of weight. However, this does not have to mean the first ingredient is the most abundant. For instance, chicken may weigh more than corn since it has moisture in it. However, there could be more cornflour than chicken in the product.

Check for Grains

A majority of pet food includes grains, a source of carbs. Some manufacturers even add gluten to make a more filling product. Although these ingredients are not a bad thing, you may want to pay a bit more for something that has more protein which is better for your dog. If your dog is allergic to grains, completely avoid foods made with wheat.

Consider what your Dog Likes

Even if you have done all your research and found a product with a high nutritional content, you still have to ensure your dog likes the food you are buying. It is imperative to balance all of these factors with your dog’s preference. Just like when buying your dog dental chews, you must get food that your dog likes so you don’t end up tossing a very expensive bag of food.

Decide if you Buy Dry or Wet Food

For most dog owners, it can be confusing to decide whether to feed their dog wet or dry food. Each type has its pros and cons. Wet dog food is available in cans or pouches. It is ideal for picky eaters and your dog will like it best. However, you need to feed a larger amount of wet food than dry to get the same nutritional benefits. Wet food contains plenty of water. It is also more expensive than dry food.

Meanwhile, dry food provides more nutrition at a lower price and is better for keeping your dog’s teeth clean. But, if you have a picky eater, it may not eat dry food which is when you need to find another solution.